Pilot failure caused Turkish Airlines crash   

By The Holland Times Thursday 06 May 2010, 11:05

The pilots of the downed Turkish Airlines plane at Schiphol Airport could probably have prevented the crash. This was revealed in a report by the safety board, Onderzoeksraad Voor Veiligheid Thursday.

Using a simulator test, the board determined that the plane crashed on approach to the Schiphol airport due to a combination of factors, inlcuding air traffice control failings and a faulty altimeter. The February crash killed nine people.

The safety board also said that pilots were inadequately trained to deal with the altitude discrepancies, a difficulty further complicated by insufficient directions from air traffic controllers. 

Boeing had been dealing with technical problems with altimeters for years. There is evidence that these problems presented a safety risk, and the safety board concludes that had the altimeter been working properly, the accident would not have occurred.

The report could play an important role in legal settlements of the disaster. Multiple injury lawyers are working on behalf of victims to obtain compensation. The main procedures are running in the US. state of Illinois. Two US. law firms, Kreindler & Kreindler and Clifford Law have brought proceedings against Boeing. The law firms are working together with several Dutch lawyers.